Amnesty International claims Libya's NTC almost as bad as Gaddafi

As Libya's first free elections loom, Amnesty International has openly criticized the authority of the National Transitional Council, which it says is little better than the Gaddafi regime it replaced through the NATO supported rebel uprising.

The Daily Beast reported Amnesty International Secretary-General Salil Shetty said the new Libyan authorities "were behaving almost as badly as the regime of the ousted Muammar Gaddafi." Amnesty cited concerns over a new law granting "immunity to rebels for any crimes committed during the insurrection" and another allowing court's to accept confessions extracted through torture as evidence.

In May Human Rights Watch drew attention to a new law invoked by Libya’s National Transitional Council which "prohibits criticism of the country’s 2011 revolution and glorification of the deposed former leader Muammar Gaddafi" and "bans insults against the people of Libya or its institutions." Sarah Leah of HRW said “This legislation punishes Libyans for what they say, reminiscent of the dictatorship that was just overthrown. It will restrict free speech, stifle dissent, and undermine the principles on which the Libyan revolution was based.”

Whilst NTC officials attempt to present a picture of order restored, Libya 360 reports that local residents maintain vying militia groups still fight for control. A London oil specialist remarked that security and legal controls are non existent. A former NTC official said “We got rid of Gaddafi, but not the regime" as he likened the present administration to the one overthrown.

Additionally the Daily Beast reports that Libya authorities are cracking down on foreign and domestic non-governmental organizations, with a planned ban on foreign funding to Libyan civil society groups.